Taurus makes a good gun, no doubt about it. I carry the hammerless .38 special daily. For concealability and less "snag-ability" on the draw from an IWB holster, I prefer the hammerless model.
I don't think you'd have any problem with the 617T, though.
I haven't gotten a chance to shoot one of that model yet, but my only concern with the 617T is recoil. That pistol is pretty light compared to the the standard construction materials used in the other Taurus pistols of the same size. Shouldn't be that big of a deal for defense carry, but I wouldn't want to shoot a lot of rounds with it.